Stainless Steel or Chromemoly

[kcebcj]

If you take the weather fighting characteristics out of the equation which is the better barrel? I have no experience with Stainless barrels. Which barrel will have the longer life or are they pretty much equal? Do they clean up the same (when fouled) or is one better then the other?
Thanks for your comments in advance.

[J E Custom]

Originally Posted by kcebcj

If you take the weather fighting characteristics out of the equation which is the better barrel? I have no experience with Stainless barrels. Which barrel will have the longer life or are they pretty much equal? Do they clean up the same (when fouled) or is one better then the other?
Thanks for your comments in advance.

In my opinion there is not much difference in accuracy if properly made between the two.

The stainless seems to have an edge on barrel ware and is not as effected by harsh cleaning
solvents. And under hunting conditions they don't have to be cared for quite as often as
chrome moly.

Years ago the chrome moly barrels were definitely better because the barrel makers did not
have the technique for making stainless down pat. (hart was the only one that seemed to
have it wired).Now they all make good barrels,and some barrel makers only offer there barrels
in stainless.

In the end the stainless barrels may end up being cheaper because of the cost of bluing the
chrome moly barrels, and bluing or even painting only protects the outside.

I use stainless on the black powder rifles for the same reason and parkerize or paint them.

J E CUSTOM

[davewilson]

my light weight carry gun is nearing completion and i went with a CM barrel for one main reason. i was told by Kreiger they would supply me with a barrel that was 3 contours smaller in Chrome Moly than they would in Stainless steel. now that the barrel is chambered and the brake is on it, i wish i would have gone with a bigger barrel but that's a moot point at this juncture.
the guy at Kreiger also told me most of the guys that work there are going back to CM barrels on their bench guns because it's considerably stronger than SS.